I'm Tired
by Elenhin
Summary: My experiment continues, telling the first few years of the Duke boy’s life together with one story from each year. This time Bo is tired.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is Bo and Luke's life together, from the first year Bo was with them, until when Luke leaves for the Marines, and one year after he gets back. It is all different events, but they all begin with more or less the same phrase. I thought it might be fun to tell their lives together by something that keeps happening. This follows on the same line as 'It's Cold,' and some of the events are even similar with the ages. There is also an Easter egg in there, if you can spot the line from the Dukes of Hazzard show, but I ain't telling which part it is in...

Big thanks to Earendil Eldar for beta work.

**Warning**: _The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen. _

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….

* * *

_**I'm Tired, Part One**_

Luke shook his head, he had thought that he was beginning to understand what the baby was about. It didn't seem all that complicated when his aunt and uncle had explained it to him. Sure some things still did, and changing the baby still seemed very nasty. There were however things that he thought he could understand. His uncle had explained to him how different even small puppies were from grown dogs.

He did have a point about that. It was impossible to keep track of the puppies, they were everywhere, and they made quite a mess out of everything when they ate. Just like the baby Bo did.

They were also crawling around everywhere and causing even more trouble, and that was exactly like Bo. Only yesterday when his aunt was making cookies he had managed to get a hold of the table cloth. Flour, milk, and just about everything on the table had come crashing down on the floor.

Still no one was angry at the baby, his aunt had actually laughed as she looked at the mess. Bo had been sitting in the middle of it, covered in flour, and laughing while he waved an old wooden spoon through the air.

So Luke had decided that his uncle had a point, Bo could easily cause as much trouble as a litter of puppies, but, he still thought that the puppies were at least cuter.

Especially now, he was screaming, again.

Normally he screamed and cried when he was hungry, and Luke guess he could understand that, but now Aunt Martha was trying to feed him, and he was still screaming, and whatever was that about?

Occasionally he paused screaming long enough to swallow a spoonful, but most of the times he just screamed so much he didn't even take the spoon.

"Why is he doing that?" Luke asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him. "Don't he understand he can't eat if he's screaming, and why is he screaming for food even while ya try an' give him?"

Martha paused so she could smile at her oldest nephew. "He ain't screaming cause he's hungry right now Luke, he's tired." She wiped some food away from his chin. "He wants to sleep, but I would rather he finished eating first, or he'll just wake up hungry. So now he's screaming because I won't leave him alone so he can sleep."

"Well then why don't ya?" Luke frowned. "If it makes him stop screaming like that, my ears hurt."

"Yeah, I think he has the same idea." She picked up a moist napkin to clean the baby off. "He don't want anymore right now, though I'm pretty sure he'll be waking up and wanting it in a few hours."

"Ya mean he'll start screaming again then?" Luke asked baffled.

"If he wakes up hungry he will, to make sure I know about it." Martha smiled as she rose, and tussled Luke's hair as she walked past him to put Bo into his crib.

"If we ever get another one like that, can we please get one that don't scream all the time?" Luke pleaded, there had to be one like that. He followed her and watched as she changed Bo into a pajama before laying him down. Amazingly enough, for someone who seemed so clueless most of the time, Bo seemed to know what was going on. For he quieted down when she put the pajama on him.

Luke could have sworn that he was asleep even as she spread the baby blanket over him.

* * *

"Luke, I'm tired." Two year old Bo tugged at Luke's sleeve. In truth Luke thought he was still just a baby. Sure, he could run around now, but it only meant he made twice as much trouble. Now he yawned as he tugged at Luke's sleeve, again. "Wanna sleep."

"Sleep then." Luke told him, he was playing with his toy cars, the round carpet made quite a good race track.

Bo pouted, lower lip trembling. "Luke." He whined.

"Ya cranky." Luke looked at him with a frown. He really hated it when the baby grew all cranky like that. He would start crying if you as much as looked at him when he got that cranky.

"Wanna sleep." Bo whined, really whining.

When Luke wasn't interested he walked away, and Luke felt relieved. Then he heard a soft rattle of wood behind him and turned to look. Bo was trying to scale the side of his bed. It was a bed for small children, it had high sides that was made out of wooden bars. It was made that way so that Bo wouldn't be able to get out, of course, not being able to climb out, meant it was even harder to climb in.

"Bo stop that." Before Luke could move Bo lost his grip and fell to the floor. He started crying as soon as he had landed and Luke rushed over to him.

"What are you doing?" He demanded.

"Wanna sleep." Bo wailed, tears streaming down his face. "Hurts."

"Yeah, well, ya can't climb there." Luke scolded him. Then he gathered Bo up in his arms to sooth him. Hugging him to make him stop crying. It took some time, he guessed that Bo had really hurt himself when he fell. He fell pretty often.

Eventually Bo stopped crying, and Luke looked at him, frowning, he was asleep. He looked at him, and wondered what he should do now. He couldn't get Bo into his bed either. Frowning a little more, then coming up with a solution he put him down on the carpet, lying there asleep, with his thumb in his mouth he made a pretty good obstacle for the cars on the race track.

* * *

"Luke, I'm tired." Three year old Bo looked up at his older cousin. "Really tired."

Luke looked over at him, he looked hot and flustered. Luke knew their aunt Martha had put a jacket on him before letting him go out to play, and yet he wasn't wearing it now, his shirt hung open as one button seemed to have fallen off. He looked as if he had been running and was now worn out, and that usually meant one thing.

"Ya ain't supposed to chase them chickens." Luke said angrily. "How many times do we have to tell ya? Why don't ya ever listen to us Bo, ya ain't supposed to chase them around."

Bo sniffed and gave Luke a scared look, surprised by the outburst. "But Luke, they started chasing me." He objected. "They did, an' when they went an' chased me, I just sorta chased them back."

"They started chasing ya?" Luke snorted. "That's silly."

"Did." Bo's voice rose to an agitated pitch at the prospect of not being believed. "One o' em' did, and chased me, an' I fell an' it hurt, an' then I chased them back." To prove his point he held up two skinned palms for Luke's inspection. Luke looked at his hands, there were several small lacerations there, several that looked to still have some small stones and dirt in them. Most likely one of the chickens had scared Bo so he tripped and fell, and once he had gotten back to his feet, well he most likely had started chasing them back.

"An' I'm tired." Bo finished as Luke inspected his hands.

"Go inside." Luke told him. "Ya need to show Aunt Martha that so she can clean up those scrapes, and then ya can rest for a bit." He put a hand on Bo's back since his hands were hurt. "Come, lets go inside."

Bo followed obediently, hand going to his mouth out of habit, but he just got dirt in his mouth and gave a disgusted frown. Walking beside him Luke smiled as he saw it.

* * *

"I'm tired Luke." Bo stifled a yawn as he looked at his older cousin.

"Go and sleep then." Luke answered. It wasn't as if Bo was to old for afternoon naps at four. Aunt Martha always put him down for them if he grew tired or cranky. Now she had gone over to the neighbor though, she should be back soon and their uncle was in the barn, so they weren't really alone.

"Can ya tell me a story." Bo came over to stand by Luke's knee where he was sitting on the couch. Luke had been sitting with a picture books with cars in it, and he wasn't really interested in telling Bo a story.

"No." He said as he turned the page.

"Please, I'm tired, an' I wanna sleep, but I wanna hear a story first." Bo pouted and gave Luke the cutest look he possible could. "I'll give ya a hug." He offered.

"I wanna sit here an' read." Luke told him.

"I can sit here as well." Bo stated, hopefully. He sank down on the floor, leaning his back against Luke's leg. "See, can ya tell me a story now, please." He twisted around and hugged Luke's legs.

"A short one." Luke agreed.

Bo wrapped his arms around his legs again. "Thank you." He beamed. Then he settled back down with his back against Luke's legs as Luke began to tell a short story.

"Ya sleeping now?" He asked at the end of it, there was no answer. "Ya asleep now Bo?" He asked once more, he moved one leg, and watched as Bo fell over sideways to lie on the floor. He shook his head, that child could sleep anywhere.

TBC

Thank you all for reading, I'll do my very best to reply to all signed reviews, Elenhin


	2. Part Two

Author's Note: This is Bo and Luke's life together, from the first year Bo was with them, until when Luke leaves for the Marines, and one year after he gets back. It is all different events, but they all begin with more or less the same phrase. I thought it might be fun to tell their lives together by something that keeps happening. This follows on the same line as 'It's Cold,' and some of the events are even similar with the ages. There is also an Easter egg in there, if you can spot the line from the Dukes of Hazzard show, but I ain't telling which part it is in...

Big thanks to Earendil Eldar for beta work.

**Warning**: _The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen. _

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….

* * *

**_I'm Tired, Part Two_**

"I'm tired Luke, I wanna sleep." Bo crawled up to sit on the couch beside his cousin, who looked down on the five year old boy.

"Bo, I've got to read this before tomorrow." Luke objected, indicating a short text. If Bo started clinging on him he wouldn't be able to read at all.

"Okay." Bo said, even as he leaned against Luke.

"Bo, go away. Go play with ya cars." Luke pushed at him.

"I don't wanna play." Bo rubbed at his face sleepily. "I'm tired."

"Yeah, and I have to do this, so ya just git." Luke tried to sound demanding like their uncle did. Bo always obeyed him.

"Why do ya have to do that?" Bo asked, snuggling close, as if it would help him.

"Because I have to." Luke gave him a glare. "If ya tired, then go somewhere else and sleep."

"But I wanna sleep here." Bo pouted.

"Why?"

"Cause ya are here, and it's nice." Bo smiled at him.

Luke had to admit it was flattering, he chewed his lip, wondering if he should let Bo sleep here with him, or make him go. On the other hand, it was kinda pointless to waste time thinking about it since he was already sound asleep.

* * *

"I'm tired Luke, can we please stop now." The six year old boy begged.

"No." Luke told him.

"But I'm tired, an' my feet hurt." Bo whined.

Luke sighed, why did he whine, it never made Luke all that much more sympathetic, just more annoyed.

"Bo, stop whining like a dang child." He told him.

"I am a child." Bo objected with a pout. Luke was forced to admit that he did have a point there, he was a child, but why did he have to whine?

"Well, that don't mean ya have to whine like that." Luke said firmly.

Bo still pouted. "I ain't whining, I'm just saying."

"You were whining."

"Nuh huh." Bo shook his head vigorously, making his blond locks bob around his head.

"Were to, like a baby." Though Luke had to admit he hadn't really done that, when he was a baby he had been screaming.

"Were not."

"Were to."

"Weren't."

"Ya were."

"No, I weren't."

"Were too, and are now."

"Ain't my fault. I'm tired." Bo pouted, and now he looked as if he was close to tears as well. "My feet hurt, Luke. My boots are too small."

"That ain't my fault." He knew Bo had outgrown his boots, but no one seemed to know where Luke's old ones had wound up. So they were still searching for them.

"Luke, can I ride on ya back?" Bo turned hopeful eyes to him.

"Only a little." It was easier to give in than to have a new argument with him, Bo was too stubborn to know when to give up. It was easier to just agree and have it over with.

* * *

"Luke, I'm tired." Bo scooted over closer to his cousin.

Luke had been looking out the window, but now he looked at his seven year old cousin who sat beside him in the pick up truck.

"An' to think ya slept all day." He teased him, Bo had been slow to wake in the morning.

"Couldn't sleep last night." Bo mumbled.

"Why?" Luke asked as he draped one arm around his shoulders.

"Was afraid I'd be tired today and fall asleep in class."

"Bo, do ya know how silly that sounds?" Luke asked with a smile, it was the first day of school after the summer, and he knew Bo was nervous about it. Yet this was kind of silly, having been so afraid of being tired he hadn't slept, and was tired because of it.

Now he nodded, sheepishly.

"Don't worry Bo, it'll be okay." Luke grinned. "Ya'll keep awake." He gave him a teasing grin. "Or the teachers will let ya know ya fell asleep."

* * *

"I'm tired Luke." Bo said as he tugged on Luke's arm.

Luke came awake with a groan and a glare at his eight year old cousin.

"Why are ya waking me for, go back to sleep." He groaned.

"But I'm tired Luke, an' I can't sleep." Bo tugged at his arm again.

"Why not?" He rubbed at his eyes with his knuckles.

"I had a bad dream." Bo climbed up on Luke's bed, the look on his face letting Luke know he would be begging for a hug. "Really bad."

"Monsters?" Luke asked, pulling Bo down into an embrace.

"No, worse." Bo dug his face into Luke's shoulder, so it had to be really bad.

"Worse than monsters?" Luke asked and felt Bo nodding against his shoulder.

"I dreamt that Uncle Jesse and y'all didn't want me no more." Bo mumbled. "That y'all thought I was a bother and didn't want me around no more, an' I'm really tired, but I've been awake ever since then, an' I'm just to afraid to sleep now."

"It was just a dream Bo." Luke smoothed down his hair gently as he tried to sooth him.

"I know." Bo yawned even as he pressed against Luke. "But it still made me scared. Can I stay here Luke, cause then I know it was only a dream, an' that ya want me, or ya wouldn't let me stay here, please."

"Sure Bo, ya can sleep here." How could he deny him? It would be like telling him the dream had been true, and that no one really wanted him. That was as far from the truth as anything could be, but in the middle of the night, it might be hard to believe. So he spread the cover over his cousin, smiled as Bo snuggled down, and hugged him tight as he slowly fell asleep.

* * *

"Luke, I'm tired." Bo rubbed at his eyes with his knuckles.

Luke frowned a little, thinking nine year olds were to old for afternoon naps, on the other hand, it was late morning.

"It's not even lunch yet." He pointed out.

"I know that." Bo yawned. "I'm still tired."

"I would never have guessed." Luke said with a touch of irony as another huge yawn escaped Bo.

"That's why I'm telling ya, so ya'd know." Bo said seriously, and Luke found himself laughing.

TBC

Thank you all for reading, I'll do my very best to reply to all signed reviews, Elenhin


	3. Part Three

Author's Note: This is Bo and Luke's life together, from the first year Bo was with them, until when Luke leaves for the Marines, and one year after he gets back. It is all different events, but they all begin with more or less the same phrase. I thought it might be fun to tell their lives together by something that keeps happening. This follows on the same line as 'It's Cold,' and some of the events are even similar with the ages. There is also an Easter egg in there, if you can spot the line from the Dukes of Hazzard show, but I ain't telling which part it is in...

Big thanks to Earendil Eldar for beta work.

**Warning**: _The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen. _

Disclaimer: The Duke Boys are not mine, I don't own the Duke boys, nor the General Lee. I promise that once I'm through with them, there will be nothing broken that a trip to Cooter's garage can't fix….

* * *

**_I'm Tired, Part Three_**

"I'm tired Luke, how long are we gonna be?" Bo asked sleepily.

"Don't know." Luke answered the ten year old boy who was sitting between him and Cooter in the truck. "Cooter?"

"No idea." Cooter shook his head. "We're ya out chasing girls all last night since ya that tired Bo?" He teased.

"No, there weren't none around the farm to chase." Bo replied sleepily.

"Uhu, ran to fast for ya huh." Cooter teased as he ruffled his hair. "No wonder ya plumb worn out."

Bo looked up at him with a half hearted glare.

"Shouldn't be to long Bo." Luke told him. "Well be home soon."

"Yeah, but I don't think he really cares anymore." Cooter grinned as he noticed that Bo had fallen asleep where he sat between them.

* * *

"Luke, I'm tired, when are we gonna stop?" Eleven year old Bo looked up at his cousin questioningly.

Luke ignored him and just kept on walking.

"Luke." Bo called after him.

"Never." Luke snapped, Bo should know how far it was to the farm. At least well enough so he didn't have to ask every other minute.

"Never?" Bo cried out astonished stopping dead in his tracks. "Luke?"

Luke glanced over his shoulders. "Bo, keep up will ya."

"Ain't we ever gonna stop?" Bo asked, sounding a bit doubtful, and yet scared that Luke might mean it. The kid was just way to gullible.

Luke shook his head with a sigh. "Bo, ya got the IQ of a turnip, a small one. Of course we're gonna stop, we're going home ain't we. We'll stop when we get there."

Bo gave him a suspicious look but started walking again.

* * *

"I'm tiered Luke." Bo rubbed at his eyes with his knuckles even as he yawned.

"I don't care Bo." Luke stood working on a bolt in the engine. "Ya wanted to come along."

"Yeah, I know." Bo tried to fight off the desire to sleep, he was always happy to go with Cooter and Luke. It had just turned out to be way later than anyone had expected. He was supposed to go to school the next day, he was in enough trouble in school even if he didn't fall asleep in class.

He tried very hard to make his uncle proud of him, but studying didn't come easy to him. He found it hard to sit still, and learning from book just wasn't for him. His uncle understood that, and he never fussed to much about grades, not as long as he did his best. Falling asleep in class was however not something Jesse would allow. If he did that he would be in trouble.

"I didn't think we'd be this late." Bo defended himself.

"Well, we are." Luke told him, the last thing he needed was for Bo to turn whiny on him.

"Bo," Cooter spoke up from the other side of the car. "There's an old backseat in the back there. Ya can get some shut eye so ya manage school alright."

"Thanks Cooter." Bo gave him a grateful look. That was why it was so good to be around Cooter, he didn't look down on Bo for being younger. He still saw him as a friend, and he didn't think he was childish cause he was tired. He found the back seat and laid down on it, he'd nap until the left, and then he'd manage school just fine.

"Here." Cooter grinned and tossed him a none to clean blanket that Bo draped over him. He saw Bo as something between a friend and a younger brother. The fact that Bo had enough sense to know he was too tired to manage school if he stayed up was a good thing as Cooter saw it. The reason Luke got annoyed was because he was tired as well, and it made him short tempered with his cousin in turn.

Closing his eyes, Bo fell asleep to the sound of clanking tools.

* * *

"Luke, I'm tired." Bo mumbled as he wondered what time it was. He would have shook his head if he wasn't yawning. At thirteen years he was looking at girls, and he liked what he saw there as well. Still, sitting out all night and looking at Luke making out, or rather being told not to look, was kind of boring.

He was in the front seat, alone, and Luke and the girl was in the backseat, having a great time. Well, he would, he was the one getting to kiss and snuggle.

He sighed, he wouldn't have minded that, but he was a tag along at the moment. Not left behind, but not included either.

Sighing again he climbed out on the car and sat down on the hood, it was a beautiful night sky, so he stretched out on the hood, his back against the windshield and an arm behind his head for a pillow. It was a warm summer night, and beautiful stars.

Lying there gazing up at them he didn't feel as if he was missing out on anything after all. You didn't think the hood of a car could be so comfortable, but falling asleep there while gazing up at the stars, that was something he wouldn't mind doing again.

* * *

"Luke, I'm tired." Bo looked up at his cousin with sleepy eyes. Being sick at seventeen was no better than being sick at seven he had decided, but being sick when Luke had just gotten back from the Marines, that was really bad. He knew no one blamed him for getting sick, but he hated being a bother at the best of times. What also served to make it worse was that he never could stop himself from thinking that Luke had been away to war, out in the big world, after all that could he really see his sick cousin as anything but a whiny brat? Still, at times he really couldn't help but whine a bit.

"Try and sleep Bo." Luke said softly, as far as Bo could tell he didn't sound as if he though Bo was just a spoiled brat.

"I can't." Bo raised a hand to rub at his eyes, and it made his skin sting.

"Why not?" Luke sat down beside him on the bed, he sounded concerned. Bo took a small amount of relief in knowing that as long as Luke sounded concerned and not annoyed, he didn't mind.

"It aches all over." He mumbled, it was the fever that had made his body ache, but it really was bad enough to keep him from sleeping. His flesh felt hot and sore, and every touch or movement made it really ache.

"Oh," Luke was familiar with the feeling. He brushed a stray lock of hair away from Bo's forehead. It was getting into his eyes, and that wouldn't make him feel any better. "Tell ya what Bo, I'll go and fix ya a nice cool bath, should take care of the aching and cool ya off a bit, kay?"

Bo nodded, it might be a sure way to cross the line between being a sick cousin and a bothersome cousin, but it sounded so good he really didn't care. Besides he could still hear the genuine concern and tenderness in Luke's voice, and that was enough to reassure him. Luke gave him a warm smiled before he went to fix the bath, then he came back to help Bo there. He was as wobbly on his feet as a new born colt, a three legged one, out on plain ice.

Settling in the water Bo gave a sigh or relief, it did sooth, it soothed him more than he had dared to hope for.

"How ya feeling now, Bo?" Luke asked softly, he was sitting behind Bo and let him rest his head against him.

"Lot better, Luke, thanks." Bo offered a small smile. "Tired and sleepy."

Luke couldn't help but smile. He had missed his cousin so badly when he was away. Bo with his wide eyed innocence, who though he was hiding the fact that he was nervous about what Luke thought about him, when he was really broadcasting it on an open CB channel. The boy thought he hadn't noticed, but even if Jesse hadn't told him, he would have known. So he tried to reassure him, in any way he could.

So even when Bo did one of those cute things to try and keep himself from being cumbersome Luke just let him. At the same time as he tried to keep from laughing, while offering some reassurance.

Now he could laugh though, Bo had fallen asleep in the water. It was easy to tell how worn out tired he had been when he dropped out that fast. Hopefully, he would get better really soon, and then once he had rested a bit they could take up all of their plans that had been put on hold.

Now he let the boy be for a bit, then he would get him back to bed again. Still smiling fondly over how much he had grown Luke noted that he still looked like a child when he was asleep.

The End


End file.
